


Outcaste

by TheAllonsyGirl



Category: Holy Trinity (YouTube RPF), Real Person Fiction
Genre: And Then There Were None tropes, Cannibalism, Dark, Death, Desert Island, Horror, Multi, Murder, Psychological, Survival, Thriller, Torture, Twisted, YouTube, outcast
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-14 06:47:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8002462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAllonsyGirl/pseuds/TheAllonsyGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When several of YouTube's stars agree to go to an all expenses paid convention, they board their plane with reckless abandon. In time they will pay the real price of their decision. Waking up on an island, stripped of all but their clothes, they struggle, they fight, they bleed, and they descend into madness. Desperation and fear create insanity, and castes begin to form. Rulers are established, and no one gets out alive. </p><p>WARNINGS:<br/>Death,<br/>Torture,<br/>Disturbing themes<br/>Depression<br/>Dark and morbid consequences<br/>Possible suicide</p><p>You were warned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Naivete

"If it seems too good to be true, it often is," that's what mothers say, isn't it? It is a person's naivete that often befalls them even when rationality dictates otherwise. People want to believe in the tiniest shred of hope offered to them if it helps them to continue. Mr. V knew a lot of things, and this was one of the greatest things he had learned in his younger years. It had become a vital tool in his quest for manipulation, for sadism, and for what he called his "social experiments."

"Did you send the invitations out?" he sniffed derisively without even looking away from his monitor. The mild-natured assistant raised his head for a moment and nodded. Mr. V inhaled deeply as if with pleasure at his own intricate plan.

"Y-yes Mr. V, but I d-don't understand why you'd want to do this," the assistant stammered back, avoiding the calculating gaze of his employer. Mr. V finally turned to acknowledge that an actual human being was stood beside him. 

"Why would you? You're not paid to understand, or to ask questions," his voice bordered on menacing with every syllable. The assistant quickly swiped at his brow to remove the masses of sweat droplets before they stung his haunted eyes. He refrained from an out loud reply, and Mr. V narrowed his slick and malevolent eyes and drew his lips in thinly before speaking again. 

"They're spreading so much...joy and inspiration, and if you allow people to inspire and motivate, before you know it, my meek and pathetic friend, they are able to make changes to the world. You know how I feel about freedom of speech and...joy," he shuddered as if the very mention of joy left his tongue bitter, and his soul tainted. The assistant blinked and tried over and over in a futile attempt to contemplate the reasoning behind a war on joy. It escaped and disturbed his reason for being but as he had learned; speaking out was not an option. 

Mark frowned at the rich parchment page with its opulent calligraphy and odd seal. It was an invitation to a new convention, with travel on a private jet for all of the YouTubers in attendance, food accommodation, private green room. His eyes widened a little at the extravagance of the offer and yet he was cautious of how out of the blue this all was. He perused the included booklet, and as he came across names, hotels, venues, and travel companies, he raised an eye brow as each and every one of them checked out legitimately. He took the invitation over to his computer station and pulled up a new Skype window. He swiftly tapped in the names of some of his close friends and launched the initiate call button. It rang out for four rings before the first connection was made, and the gentle face of Jack showed up in the top right corner. 

"Jack, did you get one of these in your mail?" Mark waved the parchment and booklet in front of his camera and frowned. Jack shook his head and chuckled;

"And hello to you too, Mark. Yeah, I did; it sounds fucking incredible! Did you look at the website yet? It looks fucking cool!" Jack chimed in his usual loud and sprightly tones. 

"I did, I think I'm gonna give the event organiser a call just to work out the details and answer a few questions. I don't know what it is but something about this seems so odd to me. Since when do new organisers have this much cash to throw at an event?" Mark narrowed his eyes and caught a glimpse at Jack and saw his nose was stuck into the booklet. 

"Says here they raised the money for the event on Kickstarter and GoFundMe as a charity event, and that everything we sign at the event will be auctioned to raise even more for a list of charities listed on page seven," Jack looked back up and smiled. The call froze for just a moment as Felix entered the conversation.

"Sup losers," he grinned and put his hands behind his head as he put his feet up on his desk. 

"Hey Felix, did you get the invite too?" Jack spoke with a sparkle in his eye and excitement in his voice. Felix nodded nonchalantly.

"Yup, Ken hit me up, so did Dan and Phil, they all got one too. You going?" he sipped a chai latte and awaited a response. Jack nodded enthusiastically, and Mark uncertainly gave a thumbs up. 

"Bob and Wade got one too," Mark replied as he finished scrolling through his social media. 

"Mark thinks there's something weird about it so he's being a sucky suck," Jack smirked as Mark rolled his deep brown eyes. Felix chuckled and shook his head;

"It seems pretty legit, but what's even the worst that could happen? We waste a little time? Get a break from solid work? It's like a poor man's Pax Prime from what I can gather, but it's all for charity. I mean, that's pretty cool isn't it?" Felix shrugged, his chilled and passive nonchalance pervading the whole chat room. Mark nodded and tipped his head to one side.

"I guess that's true, I'll call to confirm with the guy and start preparing content I guess. It's so short notice but it's doable in four weeks right?" Jack and Felix simultaneously nodded and with casual goodbyes they signed off. 

~Four Weeks Later~

Jack pulled Signe into his arms and hugged her close to him, her perfume invisible but comforting. He kissed her softly and smiled at her warmly.

"I'll call you when I land, and I'll see you in a few days; don't be causin' trouble," he winked and she laughed gently.

"Shouldn't I be the one telling you that?" she smirked and kissed his cheek, her soft, rose blonde hair fell around her shoulders and tickled his neck as she did. 

"Nah, I'm a rebel. I love you, " he grinned and intertwined his fingers with hers.

"I love you too," she smiled and waved as he headed out of their front door. Jack was impressed to discover his private car was already outside waiting for him. From what he understood, everyone was to get a first class flight to California, and when everyone was assembled, a private jet would take them to the convention's VIP housing for a day of settling in before the convention's opening the following day. He climbed into the car and was greeted by the driver. He smiled and took a small sigh as he prepared for the long day of travelling ahead. 

"Everything is falling into place." Mr. V whispered and plucked a couple of stick dolls made of kindling and torn cloth. They had black hair and black clothes, one had painted blue eyes, the other brown. He stroked them in a way that could only be considered unnerving.

"They've all accepted, they're all on their way to my little trap; fools," he cackled softly and crushed the dolls within his large and vice-like hands. Their remains scattered upon the floor at his feet and he blew out the only candle lighting the room. The only things still alive and processing in the room were the screens that canvassed every available angle of the meeting point; the subtle glow somehow made the room almost buzz, and the air was heavy with wrong.


	2. Insidious

The alpine stature of Dan Howell leant against the red brick wall, his likeness mirrored by Phil Lester. They were the first to arrive and they were paranoid.

"Is this the right place, Dan? No one's here yet, and I have a weird feeling we're being stitched up," Phil half smirked in his usual way and Dan shrugged nonchalantly and chuckled. 

"Why would anyone take the time out of their day to stitch us up? Come on Phil, we're just early. They said 11:30 and it's only 11:20. Have some popcorn," he grinned and launched a five hundred gram bag of popcorn at his best friend's head. 

"Ow! Was that necessary?" Phil frowned briefly and chortled softly. He picked up the bag and popped it open. 

"What does it take to get a fucking Tauros around here? They only have them in America and I can't bloody find one," Dan mumbled with a slight whine. Phil snorted and put his hand up to his mouth with mirth in his eyes. 

"Oh fuck off, Phil. Is this gonna be another one of those where you get everything and I get nothing? Farfetch'd all over again," Dan's eyebrows knitted into a frown. Phil continued to laugh and by some stroke of luck, a red headed guy stepped between them both, before Dan made a swipe at Phil's head. 

"Hey what's up you guys?" Shane smile and waved in a less bombastic, and more gentle way and the pair turned to look. 

"Oh hi! Great to meet you, if a little intimidated," Phil laughed and held out his hand to shake. 

"Bitch please," Shane laughed and swatted away Phil's hand before pulling him into a constricting hug. Dan stood awkwardly next to them before being pulled in too. 

"I cannot wait for this convention; free food, private jet, this queen is lit," Shane grinned and spoke in a singsong voice. 

"Meeting the fans? Panels?" Dan raised an eyebrow and Shane laughed heartily.

"Oh yeah. That too," his laugh rang through the air. 

"Don't be a tease, share the joke, bitches," the booming voice and infectious laugh of Tyler Oakley pervaded the group. Shane launched at him with a massive hug, and kissed both of his cheeks. Dan and Phil gave him a joint hug and smiles were plastered across the faces of all concerned. 

"So, dish the goss, how many more of us are there?" Tyler looked into his iPhone as he preened his pastel blue hair.

"Uh I'm not one hundred percent but I know Felix, Mark and Jack are coming. Mark mentioned two people we don't know; Bob and...Wade I think it is?" Dan replied matter of factly. 

"Oooh lots of eye candy for daddy," Tyler smirked and giggled. Shane shared his giggle and sipped his bottle of water. 

"YOUTUBE CREW!" Felix hollered with Ken in tow, his hands cupped around his mouth to project further. A myriad of greetings, brofists, and high fives ensued to the point they almost didn't notice the arrival of Jack, Mark, Bob and Wade. 

"TOP OF THE MORNING TO YA," Jack beamed and scurried around the group giving everyone in range a high five. 

"Oh girl, he is LOUD," Shane chuckled his eyes a little wide. A collection of conversations began to ripple into crescendos before a subtle cough followed by a series of manic claps disturbed the ruckus. 

"Alright guys, settle down, settle down. I know you're all over excited and restless and I promise this won't take very long. My name is Jason, and my colleague, Simon is just to your left. He's going to hand out the sign up sheet, if you could just sign next to your name as it's printed, and pass it on back to me, that would be marvellous," Jason smiled and clasped his hands together as he addressed his small audience. It took a matter of seconds before Jack, Mark, and Felix had defaced the sheet with doodles of penises, velociraptors, septiceyes and stick figures. It did however, find its way back to Jason, eventually. A few men dressed smartly in burgundy blazers with gold piping began to load up the group's bags. They were smiling and genial and they effortlessly loaded up two full trolleys. 

"Ah good, we're all here, we're just missing Daniel," he nodded and Dan frowned. He waved his arm limply to indicate his presence. 

"I'm right here!" Jason shook his head and tapped the clipboard.

"No, no, Daniel Hardcastle," Dan slinked his arm back down and silently cringed a little. 

"No matter, we can make other arrangements," Mark and Jack narrowed their eyes and looked at each other. They shared a puzzled connection over the rushed proceedings. 

"We're just gonna leave without someone?" Jack whispered to Mark, his hand cupped in front of his mouth. 

"Something is weird isn't it? I felt it the second I opened the invitation," his skin paled a little and he couldn't shake the slight nausea that had preceded to wrap around his stomach like a vice. 

"Do you think we sh--" Jack was quickly stifled from his paranoid musings. 

"Come on everyone, quiet down, we need to move," Jason ushered the group forward and led them through the building and as they traipsed through, various people chattered in excited glee and took photos of them. They smiled and waved at their fans as they passed by, littered with scattered apologies for being unable to stop and chat or take photographs. As they reached the tarmac, the black Luxor jet was just taxiing to a stop. Felix whooped and pointed to it like a little kid at Christmas. The energy and animation was rising once again, pushing the doubt out of almost all of their minds. Stood by the jet's door was a tall grey-haired man, with a genial smile and hazel eyes. His stature was grand and welcoming and as the door slid open and the staircase descended, Dan shook Phil's shoulders, Ken and Jack high fived even if deep down he felt a little uneasy in himself. Felix clapped to himself. 

"Right! I'm afraid I have to leave you all here, but my in-flight crew will cater to your every whim and desire and keep you comfortable on your journey," he smiled slowly and with a vaguely menacing way that only Mark seemed to pick up on. He swallowed thickly and looked around at his friends. 

"Something's wrong," he whispered to himself, unable to pinpoint the seed of the insidious wrong. The group formed two lines and slowly made their way up the staircase and onto the jet. They each received a warm welcome and a small care package as they entered the cabin. As they walked into the main seating area they were astounded. The opulence exuded from every single inch of the place, from the tan leather seats to the individually laid tables with candelabras and velvet napkins. Each YouTuber even had their own individual note card, and once they found their seats and sat down the conversation began. 

"Now THIS is what I'm talking about!" Tyler explained as he prodded the napkin that was fetchingly shaped into a swan. 

"Tell me about it, girl," Shane grinned and looked at his reflection in the ornate table knife. The cabin staff filtered in as the group became acquainted with one another, and they began to take food and drink requests. 

"Do you have any cake?" Jack mused as he tipped his head to one side.

"Yes sir, which kind would you like?" the black-haired stewardess smiled as she clasped her fingers around a pen and notepad.

"Is there any chance I could just have a selection of little nibbles of cake?" he beamed and licked his lips. The stewardess chuckled and nodded as she turned to Dan.

"Two caramel macchiatos, some popcorn, some iced water with cucumber and mint in one, strawberry in the other. Oh and maybe...pizza?" Dan looked and Phil to confirm, and as he nodded, Dan lifted his eyes back up to meet her gaze. The doors closed and as the stewardesses finished taking notes, the head of cabin crew began the safety demonstration. They put their seatbelts on and copied the demonstration before dissolving into laughter. The atmosphere was light and airy and their spirits were soaring. 

"I just got a text from Molly, she's worrying about me again," Wade smiled fondly as he remembered his fiancée back home. 

"You're on a tight leash aren't you? It's been two hours," Bob chuckled and nudged Wade with a wink. Wade smacked at him playfully and shook his head.

"Oh please! And you're not whipped?" Mark smirked and threw a rolled up ball of paper at Bob's head lightly. Bob threw it back and flipped him off.

"You're with Amy now, so welcome to the Whipped Club my friend," Bob smiled smugly and thanked the stewardess as she placed a hot coffee in front of him. The head of the cabin crew introduced herself as Lena, and she addressed the group for a moment;

"Courtesy of the event organisers, we have a little bit of bubbly to toast to the charity," she smiled and popped the cork before deftly filling a tray of glasses.There were cheers and whoops all around as the glasses were shared out. The crisp champagne tingled the lips of Felix and he smiled, sighing peacefully as he looked out of the window. Jack's cake arrive and he clapped happily thanking the stewardess and marvelling at the mini cakes arranged on a platter. He took a picture and sent it to Signe with the caption; "Wish I could save one for you baby, smooches x," 

As the plane readied for take off, and began taxiing down the runway, everyone grumbled and groaned as they detached themselves from their cell phones and tablets ready for hitting the air. As the wheels glided along the tarmac Phil closed his eyes, a little nervous about flying and slightly nauseous from travel sickness, he closed his eyes and slipped the blind half way down. Lena smiled and cleared away a few of the plates as the became clean and she disappeared behind the curtain separating the main area from the cabin. She put them into the sink and beckoned her two subordinates close to her. 

"When we hit 37,000 feet, turn all of the valves to open and up to 75. We're at 30,000 now," they nodded, a little uneasy about their task but knowing that they would be taken care of if they chose to deny it. Lena looked through the curtain as she took her seat for the climb. 

"Good afternoon gentlemen, we hope your flight is to your satisfaction. If you need anything please do ask one of our wonderful cabin crew. We're just approaching 37,000 feet and we are around 45 minutes away from our destination. Thank you for flying with us, we hope you remain comfortable during the remainder of your flight," the pilot clicked off the radio, and pulled the gas mask onto his face. As the jet hit 37,000 feet, Lena's colleagues made their way to the other side of the jet and clandestinely turned the dials up to full. They scurried back to the cabin as quickly as possible to avoid causing too much of a stir.. Mark's head tipped to the side as he considered this exchange. Dan pulled himself up and slinked past the others to head to the restroom. He stepped in and closed the door. He took a deep sigh and after he had relieved himself, he washed his hands thoroughly with the mango and almond hand-wash. He blinked several times and plucked a piece of toilet roll to wipe his eyes. He felt a burning that seemed to be climbing in intensity, and it seemed to be spreading to his nose and throat. 

"What the fuck?" he muttered to himself as he wiped his brow. His head felt airy and yet somehow still like lead. As he left the bathroom and struggled a little to reach his seat, Mark narrowed his eyes. 

"Dan? What's the matter?" he frowned and moved to stand. Dan blinked several times in an attempt to clear the fog. He shook his head and brushed against Mark as he stumbled past. Dan's eyes caught Lena's through the curtain, and the last thing he saw was her face smiling insidiously, moving her fingers in a mocking wave. As he hit the ground, Mark jumped to his side, a wave of nausea hitting him. 

"Dan? Dan?" he shook his shoulders and looked up desperately for the others to help. He'd had his headphones on and he hadn't noticed the others remained unmoving with closed eyes. He'd assumed they'd been taking a nap but it was only now he saw it for the dark truth that it was. 

"Felix? Jack? Phil?" he swallowed thickly as the gloom began to descend. His thoughts became muddled and as if they waded through cement to reach the core of his mind. His mouth had lost the ability to form words. This sudden aphasia scared him. Through the smokescreen he could make out Lena's face but it was strange, was it deformed? No, it was a mask of some kind, and he tried to reach out limply. He couldn't maintain consciousness and his body fell upon Dan's in a crumpled mess. The pilot clicked on his radio once again and although no one was awake to hear his words, bar the other cabin crew, he spoke regardless.

"Good afternoon passengers, we hope you're comfortable, you have now reached your destination, thank you...so much for flying with us, and goodbye,"


	3. Stranded

As the jet began its descent through the grey smog, Lena watched over the nine unconscious figures in front of her.

 

"I had no choice, I hope you know that," she spoke softly though her words fell on deaf ears, guilt lapped at her mind. She gently nudged Mark with her foot and stepped over him and Dan, before peering out of the window. The jet touched down upon the open stretch of sand with a bump and began to slow to a stop. The rest of the crew piled into the main area of the jet and began picking up the unconscious figures one by one and as the door was prised open, and throwing them on to the sandy ground below. 

"Hurry up, we need to be gone when they wake up," Lena hissed and dragged Phil by the foot roughly. Between them they managed to drag the group out of the jet and splay them upon the mottled and clammy sand. The wind lapped at their hair and unmoving bodies. Lena could barely look behind her as she climbed back into the jet. Her grip on the railing grew tighter for a moment before she scuttled in and closed the door. It was eerily silent all through the jet as one by one the crew looked to and from one another. Guilt had etched a sodden map into their pale faces and as the jet engines roared back to life Lena swallowed a worried sigh.She peeked out of the little porthole window and as the pile of deathly still bodies faded further and further away, she felt her stomach drop a little.This was not the way things were meant to be for her, but she knew that after everything, there was no going back now. 

Amongst the tangle of bodies, Felix let out a fragile moan and tried to force his brain to send a signal to his eyes to open them. After several moments, his eyes twitched open and his vision swam in front of them. He felt a myriad of limbs and torsos fencing their way up and around him. He shook his head to clear it once more. He turned his head slowly and rubbed his shoulder which exploded with a searing pain as he lifted it past an inch off the ground. He winced and took in what surrounded him. The bodies of his companions lay like a morbid, pulsing entity as their rhythmic breathing synchronised. He felt the dewy sand between his lithe fingers, and felt a muggy breeze slither through his nostrils as he took in a deep breath. He placed his hand gingerly on Marks shoulder and gently shook him. 

"Mark? Mark?" he wasn't panicking, not yet; he was too perplexed to be concerned just yet. Mark moved beneath his hand and dragged a hand to his sleep-filled eyes. His words almost slurred as they left his lips;

"What's happening? Where are we?" he sniffed and haphazardly dusted his slate jeans off and a collection of tiny sand particles pooled below him. Felix tried to push himself to a stand using his good arm and as he did, Mark supported his twisted one. 

"I have no idea, I just remember feeling sick, and tired and then...nothing" Felix replied, his voice a little thick with sleep. Mark's brows had knitted into a black fury, his mouth pulled up in a frustrated snarl;

"I knew. I knew something was wrong. I didn't know what it was, I don't even know what...this is," he scanned the area as more of the party began to awaken. There were dense palm trees protruding from the vast majority of this desolate sand box, and as Mark narrowed his eyes to gaze into the woods he felt a sense of latent terror creep up his spine. 

"What the fucking hell is going on?" Jack raged from his uncomfortable slump on the ground, his ankle was twisted and purple bruising was wrapping around his flesh like a boa constrictor. He growled as he clambered to his feet and hobbled over to where Mark and Felix stood. Tyler stayed where he was for several moments, merely in a state of almost catatonic shock before Shane managed to drag him back to the frightening reality of their situation. 

"This is some fucking 'Lost' shit," Shane murmured and rubbed his head which was bleeding in a dainty trickle, where it lapped at the purity of his white t shirt collar. Jack managed a nervous chuckle, at the reference but his eyes betrayed him as they shimmered with latent fear. As Bob, Wade, Dan and Phil came to and rose upon their shaky limbs, their confusion evolved in magnitude. 

"Let's just call someone, I mean, that's the obvious thing to do, isn't it?" Dan somehow managed to maintain his almost cavalier nonchalance, even in such trying times. He reached into his jacket to locate his cell phone and looked down even more confused as he withdrew his empty hand. 

"What? I definitely put it in there, where is it?" he frantically patted his other pockets just in case he'd simply been absent-minded as had been the case often enough before. 

"It's okay, I know it's annoying but it's insured, you'll have a new one soon enough," Phil shrugged and moved to pull out his phone but to his dismay, it too was not there. Everyone twigged on to the fact that their entire party had been left devoid of all communications. The fear around then grew stronger with every bite of misfortune it had the opportunity to feast on. Hands shot from pocket to pocket but everyone was in the same position. 

"They took our phones, our bags, everything!" Wade exclaimed and gestured frantically with his hands. Exasperated groans and sighs rippled through the group. 

"What the fuck do we do now?" Tyler sighed in a way that seemed as if it had come from boredom. Mark looked around him in a complete 360 and rubbed his neatly trimmed chin. There was an ocean in front of them, and from what he could see this was most definitely an island. The density of the trees made the way through them look almost impassible and opaque, and the sand held no interest, no use. 

"We start walking," Mark spoke matter of factly with a tiny shrug. 

"Walk where? There's water everywhere," Felix retorted, already irritated by this entire debaucle. Mark sighed, and with what little patience could muster he replied;

"Well obviously there's water everywhere Felix, it's an island. What I mean is we need to look around here, there maybe other people here, we don't KNOW it's deserted until we go and look around, do we?" Mark folded his arms as a form of punctuation to prove his point and Felix rolled his eyes. 

"Okay fine, but I don't know what you expect to find, except sand, more sand and oh, sand," Felix replied with a sting in his tone. Mark chose this opportunity to walk ahead and keep his mouth firmly shut; now was not the time to be causing friction with his friend; they needed help and fast. The sun glared down upon their skin and as they pushed through the large palm leaves, the sun fought its way through each slit between them. It was such a bizarre surrounding, the terrain seemingly changed at will from sandy shore to jungle floor. The sand still sprinkled itself across the deeper, mossy terrain but its battle to be dominant was lost. 

"I think I'm already burnt," Phil sighed and touched a hand to his neck, which felt warm under his palm.

"Don't worry, we're in the shade now, it should be alright for now," Dan patted his shoulder gently. Ken had distanced himself a little from the group as he searched for some clue as to where they were or what happened to them. In a small clearing to the west of the group, a sheet of paper caught his eye. There were flies buzzing around the tree and Ken drew closer to see why. He edged his way around the tree and was faced with the paper he'd seen from the clearing, and the source of the fly swarm. The paper was nailed to a tree and was covered in murky reddish brown splatters. Ken grimaced at the metallic and rotting smell of blood and pulled on the only clean, white corner of the paper and yanked it down. He read the minimal scrawl and his blood chilled in his veins. 

"Uh guys, you might wanna take a look at this," the others turned towards Ken's raised voice and began to shuffle over. Jack limped as fast as he could, and Mark jogged over to take the paper from Ken. He read it aloud for the benefit of the whole group, although he soon wished he hadn't read it at all; 

"How long will you last? Will you starve? Will you kill? Will you die? Go left," the arrow on the bottom of the page pointed left and trailed off the edge of the page. 

"What the fuck? Is this someone's idea of a joke? Are we on TV right now or some shit?" Shane narrowed his eyes and flicked a mosquito away from his nose. 

"I don't know, but this paper is embossed with something I can't quite make it out," Mark squinted, not wanting to get too close to the page for obvious reasons. Jack swiped it from Mark's hand and looked closely at the indented logo. 

"Mr...V? Yeah I think that's it. Who's Mr. V?" he murmured and wrinkled his nose up at the smell of blood emanating from the page. 

"Is that blood?" Felix spoke, reviled by such a notion. Mark and Jack nodded and Felix exhaled quickly.

"That's disturbing," Bob mused from his place next to Felix. The others stared at one another, feeling even more confused upon the discovery of this new information. 

"I guess we should go left then," Tyler pointed as he spoke and the others began to take tentative steps forward. The area grew darker still as they walked further into the trees. Vines crept ominously around the trees, their tendrils reaching out around their new human playthings. They seemed almost sentient in this foreboding landscape. The sweat began to seep down their bodies as the thick and humid air grew dense around them. They stopped when they came across the first building structure they had seen across the whole island so far. It was a cabin, decrepit, entangled with vines and littered with holes, it was still an enclosed building space. In a strange way, this brought a sense of comfort to the group, as human nature dictates the first human need after food and water, is security. Felix broke from the group and approached the rustic door of the cabin. He ran his hands down the dark wood, flinching slightly as the little bugs that flew away from the settled wood. 

"Be careful, Felix," Wade warned as he stepped up to flank him. He peeked through the window, which had about three panes missing out of nine and he narrowed his eyes.

"What's in there?" Dan asked cautiously, as he too took a step or two forward, leaning across to take a look. 

"It's empty," Wade mused, and got closer to the window to see if there was anything salient to report. 

"It's really fucking dark, too dark to see really," Jack piped up from the other side of the window. It was as if the sun has been barricaded from this one shelf of the terrain, as if an unnatural force was preventing the purity of its rays. Felix pushed the door, and to his surprise it opened with a creak, the hinges wobbled slightly as if it had been a long time since they had been required to work. Felix looked back at the group before taking a cautious step into the cabin. Mark shuffled up to flank him, his hand on Felix's good shoulder. 

 

"I got you, let's go in," their eyes scanned the room; it was dark but there shadows still upon the walls and floor, that remained darker still. They held their hands in front of them, instinctively patting the air in front of them, shuffling their feet so as not to trip over anything, sinister or innocuous. Felix's foot hit something in the dark, and he lowered his hands to try and confirm its shape and size. His hands brushed over several items as he reached a little below chest level. One item he wrapped his hands around and held up triumphantly was a flash-light. He flicked the switch on and a beam of bright light lit up the room. Dan sighed in relief from the doorway as he took in the room's contents. It was innocuous, two large barrels, a pile of eleven mats in the corner, thin, grey blankets hung from the walls to cover almost every window. A ladder leading to an upper level. Mark checked the sturdiness of the ladder, and as he climbed up it, Bob held the bottom part steady. 

"Felix, the flash-light please?" Felix handed it over to Mark, and as the beam of light cast eerie shadows on the walls, Mark removed himself from the ladder. There were three crates in front of him. Nothing else existed in that room, except for a small beetle that scuttled away from the bright light. Dust flitted and floated in and out of the beam, dancing in a strange synchronicity. Mark shone the flash-light inside the crates and sighed in relief. The first crate was full to the brim with food and water supplies; cans of all sorts of things, chips, chocolate, even some alcohol. The second contained materials, blankets, clothes and such, and first aid supplies; medicine, bandages, gauze, he nodded and moved onto the last crate which made him feel slightly uneasy. It was full of weapons, or items that could become weapons so to speak. Metal pokers, a cross bow, a hammer, a saw, a lot of nails, fishing rods, and two guns. 

"Mark? What's up there?" Tyler called from the lower floor and Mark took the time to slink back down the ladder before he replied.

"Supplies. Food, drinks, clothing, first aid, and...weapons. A rifle and a pistol," the others looked around at one another.

"How much food? There's so many of us," Phil asked, fear becoming more abundant in his crystalline blue eyes. Mark thought for a moment, considering the amount of people and the amount of produce, and sighed a little as his answer was grave.

"With nine of us, I'd say about three days if we all have three meals a day, nine if we just have one and ration safely, but I don't think it'll take that long to get out of here," Mark somehow managed to almost believe his own denial 

"You said there were weapons, guns and stuff. I guess that means if we run out of food we could...hunt?" Jack met eyes with Mark, and Mark nodded. 

 

"Yeah, and there were fishing rods too, so we could fish. We could use the ladders to pick the fruit too I guess," Mark added and the others nodded. 

"I guess these mats are sleeping mats?" Ken spoke up from the corner where he proceeded to poke the collection of black mats that stood to about his chest level. 

"Looks that way," Dan nodded in reply, and looked around the room;

"Although I don't think there's enough room for all of these mats," he frowned but Mark pointed above them;

"We could push the crates back to the wall upstairs, then there will be enough for about six upstairs," he rubbed his forehead with his thumb and Dan nodded. Phil had his arms folded in a defensive manner as he leant against the wall, his eyes fixed on the view beyond the window. Dan put a protective hand on his shoulder, and smiled in a small and nervous way to try and calm his reservations. 

"We'll be okay, we're gonna be able to get help in a day or so, just think of it as an adventure, a break from everything," Dan wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Phil or himself of their safety and ability to obtain help. Phil only nodded and returned to the window, unusually quiet and unsettled. 

Each member of the group was terrified, but each and every one spoke calmly, and fought the urge to scream out, lash out, or run away.It had been a mere three hours since they had awoken in this isolated place. It is time that takes its toll, it is time that withdraws a person's sanity, feeds their paranoia, ignites their desperation. It is time that causes discord and the fall of humanity. It is time that stands still for those without the knowledge of its existence. 

Jack, Mark, Felix and Dan began pulling out sleeping mats, and as they'd found candles and lanterns in the barrels on the lower floor, they'd hung them up and bathed the room in a golden glow. They were trying to make this place seem safe and comforting, much like home because that's what we as humans do. We nest, and we seek comfort in home, and when we are separated from home we endeavour to make wherever we are, just like it. When they were done Jack sat upon his mat and pulled his knees up to his chest. His thought had finally fixed upon Signe, as he was sure Bob, Wade Felix and Mark, had settled theirs upon Mandy, Molly, Marzia and Amy. He could see it now; her being angry when he didn't call, followed by growing concern, full fledged panic and utter distress. He hoped that she would run to the police, tell them they were missing, that there would be nationwide searches for any information on the whereabouts of their party. It was like a movie in his mind, one he desperately wanted to leave but he couldn't. 

As the evening wore on, everyone had pulled out and arranged a sleeping mat and a blanket. On the bottom floor, Jack, Mark, Felix and Wade resided, and above them, Dan, Phil, Bob, Tyler and Shane made their beds. They'd each had a sip of the whiskey from the box, even those who didn't like it, with the exception of Mark, his inability to drink lead him to a root beer instead. As they settled into this madness, trying their best to sleep, and hope that when they awoke they'd be able to say it was just some crazy acid trip or a dream. They were restless, and as they lay there, they heard rustling in the trees outside. 

"What is that?" Phil hissed to Dan who shook his head.

"Probably a bear knowing our luck," Dan whispered, sarcasm still prevalent in his words. 

"Don't say that," Phil breathed out quickly. Mark sat up and shrugged off his blanked. The rustling stopped, and after a few moments of silence, became footsteps, unmistakeable footsteps. They were quiet enough that only the lower floor residents could hear them but they were there without a doubt. They stopped and Mark's eyes darted from window to window, looking for whatever threat had walked into their bubble. There were screams and shouts and jumping as the door crashed open and a man with a spear, his face covered with a mask, down to his nose stood blocking the doorway. The mask was familiar, it was expressionless, and white, although the white was dirty and cracked, it had the same face it always had. The words fell angrily from his lips;

"How dare you dwell in this cabin? I built and slaved away for this and you walked in here unassuaged by the closed door? Heathens!" Felix, Mark and Jack froze; there was only one person with a voice like that; deep and soothing, even when punctuated with anger, and he'd been missing for months. It was an internet mystery; he was the only YouTube star that no one could truly look for as he was faceless, nameless to them. He was known only by his internet persona, but yet here he stood, but there was to be no happy union, for their first meeting, could soon be their last.


	4. Death Is Inevitable

The masked man stormed in and swept his hand down to grab Felix by the throat and slam him up against the wall.

“Cry! CRY! It’s me, it’s Felix, please,” his speech was garbled and his eyes filled with tears of pain and shock. Cry stopped shaking him for a second, his grip loosened slightly.

“I know who you are,” he growled and dropped him to the floor, his shoulder throbbing, as he lay upon it, his breathing was heavy and racked with gentle sobs. Cry’s eyes shot to Jack and and his lap upon which lay an empty bag of chips and a half eaten can of sweetcorn.

“Food, you’ve got food, give it to me,” his voice was desperate and filled with madness. Jack picked up the can with a shaky hand and Cry aggressively swiped it from him. He eagerly swallowed mouthfuls of the yellow contents with reckless abandon, not even stopping when it got stuck and caused him to choke. 

“Do you have more food? Tell me you have more food,” he pushed the spear up to Mark’s face and he held his hands up.

“Cry, put the spear down. We have food. Listen to me very carefully. I need you to tell us what happened to you, and we need your help. If we give you some of our food can we please stay here and talk?” Mark chose each word carefully and held his hands up in complete surrender to the large weapon that stung his cheek. Cry thought about what he had heard and the small rational part that remained in his mind reasoned him into acceptance. He threw the spear down so it clattered against the wooden wall, and nodded. 

“Dan, I’d like you to bring some food and drink down for me please, just lay it down at the top of the stairs and I’ll take it from you. Dan nodded in shock, and pulled out some chips, a can of beans and as he rooted through the box, he managed to find some chocolate. He laid them, and a can of soda by the ladder and slinked back to his mat. Mark stood and using slow movements pulled them down, placing them in front of Cry. 

Cry’s eyes widened and he pawed and tore at the packaging like a wild animal, he pushed the can hard against his mouth it left a red ring upon his skin and caused tomato juice to pour down his face and chin. He barely took a breath as he pulled the soda ring from the can and drained it. The can bounced across the ground, and before he had even opened the chocolate bar, he’d shoved it into his mouth, spitting the paper out, and swallowing hard chunks whole. He ripped the bag of chips and they scattered everywhere but he didn’t care. He shovelled handfuls of them in until all that remained were grains of salt. He licked his hands fervently and took huge deep breaths when he was finished. His bottom lip wobbled as his face scrunched up, tears began to appear from underneath his mask as he lived up to his name. 

Felix watched him from the corner of the room, his eyes fixed upon the face of his friend. He considered that hunger could drive a person to do things inconceivable to another person. Cry turned his face to take in Felix, he began to crawl his way over, tears painting the wood in splotches as he moved, his arms and legs shaking from malnourishment. Felix braced himself for more abuse, but he did not flinch. Cry allowed his body to flop into Felix’s lap, his mask sliding a little to show his flushed and tear stained cheeks. Felix was unable to feel angry with him, and the initial shock had faded into pity for the struggles Cry had endured. It also instilled in him a sense of fear of what was to come in his own future.

“I’m…I’m--” Cry tried to formulate words as his stomach churned from the sensation of eating more than mere berries for months.

“I know,” Felix spoke softly, saving his friend from the words he couldn’t muster. 

“Wait, if you built this place, isn’t all of this yours, Cry?” Wade asked, perplexed. Cry shook his head;

“No, none of this was here when I left three days ago. I was stranded at my second camp, there are jaguars and ocelots here, and I couldn’t get back here until now, and you are all here and all of these things are here. I heard a helicopter but I never saw it, I was inside,” Cry’s eyes darted from person to person as he spoke.

“Tell us how you got here; do you know anything?” Mark pulled his legs into a crossed position, an intense look in his eyes. 

“I was supposed to be having a meeting with my network; nothing massively important, but it was in a different office. I didn’t think much of it at the time but when I got there I knew something was wrong. I tried to call my network agent and she didn’t pick up the phone, she wasn’t there and I rechecked the email just to be sure. She told me she’d gotten a new email address and it came from her old one so I didn’t twig. That was when I got this meeting through. I remember being sharply hit in the back of the head and when I woke up I was here, under the trees and covered in sand,” Cry spoke gravely with his eyes to the ground. 

“People were looking for you Cry, everyone was asking and wondering and hoping you were okay. They wondered if you’d just quit YouTube, your family wondered if you’d been murdered or taken your own life. We wondered too,” Jack twitched a nervous half smile.

“I thought they would, and I tried, I hoped and prayed I could get off this island or signal somehow that I was alive. The irony lies in my Twitter name. All they had to do was look to see the truth; CryWasTaken,” he laughed humourlessly with a bitter sigh. Shane peeked down over the edge of the ledge he was sat on, his blanket pulled up to his knees;

“You guys, Tyler’s been gone for a while, I think I should go and look for him,” he fiddled with a loose thread on the corner of the blanket. 

“Gone? Where has he gone?” Wade frowned and looked around him. 

“He had to use the bathroom and you guys were all sleeping so he snuck past you all,” he replied worriedly. He looked out into the deep night and bit his lower lip nervously.

“Tyler?” Cry narrowed his eyes as he tried to place the name. Shane nodded;

“Tyler Oakley. He didn’t run past you did he?” Shane hoped Cry had seen him, that he was hiding and waiting for someone to help him back to the cabin. Cry paled ever so slightly, unbeknownst to the others. He shook his head stiffly and moved to sit in front of his spear blade. 

“No, I didn’t see--I haven’t seen another human until…until I saw you guys,” he swallowed thickly. Shane pulled on his shoes hurriedly and jumped down the ladder. 

“I’m going to look for him, will someone come with me?” Mark stood, as did Felix. 

“Grab me that crossbow, Dan,” Mark pointed and gripped the handle tightly as he passed it down to him; respectful of its lethality but frightened of it in equal amount. Cry pulled up his spear, and eyed it cautiously, fearful he’d left some trace behind. His guilt bubbled away in the pit of his stomach, it filled it. He had seen a flash of something as he ran, he didn’t stop, he couldn’t stop. He felt the metal melt through flesh, he heard the gasps and saw the seeds of terror in the eyes of an animal, that’s what he’d thought. The air choked him as the animal fell from his sheath; a human, another human. He could not and would not face the wrath of eight men ripping his limbs from their sockets with a sickening crunch. He was a coward at heart and he would forever be branded a monster, if only by himself; the only person who could ever know the truth. He knew that by now, all evidence pointing to him dripped from the jaws of a feral beast. Everything that made Tyler what and who he was, was being torn from his bones. He knew this island, and nothing got out of it alive; weakness leads all who bask in it to a doom fit for no one. 

The breeze was still warm as they stepped out of the little comfort of the cabin. Mark held the crossbow purposefully yet still tenuously. Felix flanked him, his fists clenched hard enough that his nails caused crescent shaped welts in his sweating palms. Shane walked in front of them and next to Cry who held his spear ahead of him, waiting for the gut wrenching screams, the heart splitting, guttural roars of grief as they saw the remnants of what had been alive less than one hour prior. 

Shane’s eyes traced across the ground and widened when he saw swipes of blood across the moist ground. His stomach tightened as the shredded blue material of a familiar shoe appeared. His entire body went numb and his screams were not felt within him, only heard as an agonised, muffled noise. 

“TYLER! OH GOD NO, PLEASE, NO!” he cried and it bounced across the trees. Mark and Felix stared at the puddle of flesh, visible bones, shredded clothes and hair in front of them. It was like some ghastly nightmare that they could never have pictured before this moment. They moved to grab Shane’s arms to stop his legs from giving way, from running over to the broken and disembowelled corpse of his best friend. Cry roughly clamped his hand over Shane’s mouth, his voice a sharp hiss.

“Shh, you need to stop, stop making that noise, stop,” he didn’t mean to sound angry but Shane was putting them all in danger. Shane’s anguished cries met their crescendo and faltered slightly. As his voice grew hoarse, Cry loosened his grip. Mark’s ears pricked up as he heard the snapping of a tree branch to his right. 

“What was that?” he spoke deeply and quietly, and he looked around cautiously. Felix shrugged, Cry studied the trees carefully, and Shane fell silently to his knees. There was another snap, then another and they all looked around frantically. Cry’s heart dropped and he yanked Shane up to his feet. 

“RUN!” he hollered and turned on his heels. Mark came up behind him, his heart racing and his feet pounding the ground as the adrenaline coursed through him. Felix pulled Shane by the hand, none of them looking back as Cry led them back towards the cabin. They ran as quickly as was humanly possible, their breathing searing their lungs, their blood forcing its way viciously through their veins. Three hundred and fifty pounds of pure beast leapt fro tree to tree, a blur of spots and powerful limbs, a shuddering roar trembled through the jungle. They slammed into the cabin door, wrenching it open and landing forcefully upon the ground. Felix jumped to get into the cabin, merely seconds away from the swift strike of a jaguar’s paw. Mark and Cry pushed with all of their strength to keep he door closed. The petrified faces of the ones who had stayed behind masks of horror, as terrified screaming rang out. 

“The crossbow! Mark, the crossbow!” Dan screeched and Mark looked down. It was slung around his shoulder and he knew if he moved for even a second, they would all be in worse peril. Felix pulled at the crossbow and snapped the strap in his desperation. Mark and Cry sunk to the floor just as the remaining panes of glass showered over the floor, a lethal paw dismantling their safe house with such minimal effort. Felix readied himself and shakily aimed the crossbow out of the shattered window. He took a deep breath, swallowed thickly, as he waited for the next swipe. The guttural roar shook their bodies almost, and as the gargantuan paw came back through the open window, Felix fired. The roar of the beast became agonised as the bolt embedded deep in its paw. There were several violent thuds against the door as the jaguar threw itself in a frenzy at it. Jack had managed to crawl to help Mark and Cry keep the door shut and his arms shook under the pressure.

“What do we do?! I can’t hold on much longer,” he cried through gritted teeth. 

“Just…hold on,” Mark replied, as sweat poured from his brow, the veins in his arms pulsing wildly underneath his skin, his eyes shut as tight as he could manage. They felt the rhythmic sound of jumping, and landing, the growls faded as they heard the rustling of trees. Felix dropped the crossbow and edged towards the decimated window. He saw the slightest glimpse of a tail as it vanished into the darkness. 

“It’s..it’s gone,” he mumbled shakily. Mark, Jack and Cry allowed their bodies to relax as they shuffled away from the door. Phil stared down at them, tears streaming own his face, unable to move. Dan gripped his hand tightly and shook his head in disbelief. 

“Where’s Tyler?” Bob asked the question everyone wanted to ask, but none had the courage to convey. Shane collapsed into the foetal position and began to sob silently.

“Tyler’s…not coming,” Mark swallowed thickly, as if the words were stuck in his throat. They looked at each other one by one, some murmured in shock and dismay, others merely stared, but Felix knelt beside Shane. 

“I’m…sorry,” was all he could think of to say but his words were meaningless and fell upon deaf ears. 

“I should have gone with him, I…could have saved him,” his voice rasped and cracked in the air. His grief felt almost like a separate entity within the room. 

“It wouldn’t have done any good, all that would have changed is that you wouldn’t be here either,” Cry sounded almost cavalier in his attempt to remain undetected. Mark shot him a look that spoke volumes. 

“I don’t think Shane really needs to hear it, Cry,” he spoke abruptly and Cry simply nodded and looked away from Mark’s cold expression. Shane stared into the wall, unmoving and still numb, yet feeling the fire of a thousand matches in his heart.

“Shouldn’t we move? It knows we’re here, it can smell us, it knows we’re here,” Wade chattered in a frenzy. Cry shook his head;

“No. It attacked because we were too close to its…we were too close to…we were a threat to it,” he finally finished, as he knew the real answer, that they were too close to its prey, would be too much for them to bear. 

“It won’t come back?” Wade replied, his eyes wandering to the shattered window frame. 

“I’ve never seen one here before, and jaguars actually...rarely attack,” he looked to the floor, feeling the eyes burning into him, knowing nothing he could say, however honest, would help them right now. 

“We should fortify this place, just to be safe,” Mark took charge of the conversation and stood up. 

“We should use the wood from the crates. Break it apart, cover the windows, anything to try and barricade them,” he looked around at the group; they were beaten, bruised, broken-hearted and exhausted, and now was not the time.

“In the morning,” he added softly and moved to his sleeping mat. They knew that sleep would be scarce and those who did sleep, would most likely wake in a cold sweat, or screaming, or with tears marking their faces. Yet still he tried to close his eyes and will sleep to come. 

Upon the beach, far from the cabin, a helicopter hovered, the blades sweeping the sand in waves, like a small tornado. Another body dropped, unconscious to the ground. The dark and malignant voice spoke out to him, though to him it mattered none. 

“Did you think you were safe? That I wouldn’t find you and put you right here where I wanted you from the beginning? Did you think you had gotten away? Oh such a folly, a futile and yet fortuitous folly for you,” the helicopter pulled up from the sand, the cold, grey eyes of malevolence turned away from the last of his dolls. He smiled, an insidious cackle tripped from his lips. He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the arm of his chair. He looked down once more at his project, the dead island he had masterfully procured, and at his final puzzle piece; 

“You once were lost, but now you’ll be found,”


End file.
